The probe report submitted to the High Court on Wednesday also said that the Cox’s Bazar’s then District Commissioner Mohammad Jainul Bari and Superintended of Police (SP) Selim Mohammad Jahangir ‘failed to fathom’ the significance of the incident.

Jainul Bari was made OSD (officer on special duty) after Ramu incident and SP Selim was withdrawn recently. OC Nazibul was withdrawn shortly after the incident.

The three member probe committee of police was headed by Chittagong Range Deputy Inspector General Mohammad Nowsher Ali. bdnews24.com got a copy of the probe report.

Dr Younus Ali Akand, who filed a writ petition at the court of Justices Nayeema Haider and Muhammad Khurshid Alam, received a copy of the probe report.

The report submitted to the court 20 days after the Police chief submitted a report to a different bench claiming ‘no delay in actions’ after police got information on the attacks.

Two benches of the High Court issued rules on two separate petitions filed on Oct 3 over the Ramu attacks. The benches also issued interim directives.

Religious bigots burnt and looted Buddhist temples, houses and shops in Cox’s Bazar’s Ramu in a hate attack in protest against a Facebook posting allegedly defaming the holy Quran on Sep 29. The spate of hate attacks continued the next day in Teknaf and Ukhia upazilas.

Probe Committee report

The new report said the farewell ceremony of the DC was going on at the Cox’s Bazar Circuit House during the attacks. All top officials of the district administration were present there.

The DC neither went himself nor sent any other senior officials at the scene even after receiving the news as he ‘failed to fathom the consequences of such sensitive and serious complicated situation’.

The report also said SP Selim failed to realise the significance and consequence of defaming Quran and therefore did not deploy additional forces and be there himself ‘in appropriate time’, displaying ‘poor sense’ of judgement.

The committee later came to know that SP Selim heard about the incident at 10pm. He then sent 10 policemen and later sent 30 policemen in two phases to the spot. But the forces could not play any role to tackle the situation, it added.

The probe committee suggested that proper actions could be taken against OC Nazibul for ‘failing to tackle the situation and provide correct information to superiors’.

The committee quizzed 27 people over whether there was any negligence of duties by the law enforcing agencies during the incident.

Police chief’s report

Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmud Khandaker in his report submitted to the High Court on Oct 17 steps were taken instantly to deploy additional forces on receiving the information of attacks on Buddhist locality.

IGP in his report said that the SP immediately deployed additional forces at the scene after receiving information and contacted others to ensure security.
The report said OC Nazibul failed to tackle the situation and provided incorrect information to superiors and suggested that actions could be taken against him.

The HC on Oct 3 ordered IGP to submit report on steps taken to protect lives and assets of minority groups in Ramu.

The order came following writ petitions by Supreme Court lawyer and a Ramu local Jyotirmoy Barua. IGP submitted the report to the bench of Mirza Hossain Haider and Kazi Mohammad.